So long, Paul

[RichardJensen]

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJour...cMOTO092808.htm

 

http://articles.directorym.net/Ford_Contin...ca-a877869.html

[96 Pony]

I don't know why but his death has kinda affected me this weekend. I guess because I do not respect hardly any celebs but he was the exception.

[RichardJensen]

Definitely a class act.

[FordBuyer]

I had heard that he probably had cancer, but it was still a shock especially since Paul Newman wouldn't acknowledge that he had it. May he rest in peace.

 

My all time favorite Newman movie was The Hustler. Still remember a college professor doing an in depth study of The Hustler back in the 60's. That movie had a lot of meaning. Another favorite of mine was Hombre with that memorable line of Newman playing gun slinger asking bad guy played by Richard Boone "How are you going to get down that hill," after he came up with white flag to negotiate. I will never understand why Paul Newman didn't win Oscar for his Fast Eddie portrayl in The Hustler. He won it later for playing same character, but he deserved it for The Hustler and not The Color of Money. Newman reminds me of Steve McQueen a lot...both great, strong actors who were both private, silent types of that era, both race drivers, and both died of cancer. It was said McQueen got cancer from his racing days.

 

Another great actor from that era going strong is Ernie Borgnine. Won an Ocscar from the film Marty produced by Burt Lancaster, another great, dynamic actor no longer with us. Heard Borgnine being interviewed other day, and he sounds just like he did on McHale's Navy and has worked with all the great actors of his time. Also has new autobiography on his life. Must read.

[Hugh]

My two cents;

 

I have seen a lot of Mr. Newman, studied his work and seen a great deal. The thing I take from his work is his ability to take anything and make it work. You can bring up the greats like The Hustler, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Cool Hand Luke. For me, Slap Shot.

 

Miss you Reggie...Call Detroit tell them Bulls-t. Trade me right F-ing now!

[RichardJensen]

Still remember a college professor doing an in depth study of The Hustler back in the 60's.

My college Art History professor is a film historian specializing in set design. Among gifts he got from Harry Horner, who won an Oscar for his work on the Hustler, was the storyboard sketch for the scene where Paul Newman comes home after having his hands broke.

 

That was a good movie. I'm much more a fan of Cool Hand Luke, though. If for no other reason than "Well, sometimes, nothin's a pretty cool hand" and "calling it your job don't make it right".

 

Oh, and his genuine and unscripted laughter at Robert Redford's wide-eyed admission that he couldn't swim in Butch Cassidy.

 

A friend of mine met Paul and Joanne at a resort in Florida once. Said he was very gracious with her and her husband.

Edited September 29, 2008 by RichardJensen

[RichardJensen]

Paul Newman also wrote the foreword for "The Ford Century". Don't have a copy on hand. It's on the list of things to buy off alibris, though.

[timmm55]

My two favorites were HUD and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Absence of Malice and The Hudsucker Proxy was very good (<<<dumbest name ever for a movie though).

 

Men and women liked him equally. He was an amazing actor, husband, race car driver and humanitarian. Actors like Brad Pitt and Russell Crow pale in comparison to him at his height. I've heard that the other "cool" blue eyed method actor, Steve McQueen, had a rivalry with him (but not in reverse).

 

I saw him once in Century City at a play The Pirates of Penzance. He was striking, even several rows away!

[FordBuyer]

My two favorites were HUD and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Absence of Malice and The Hudsucker Proxy was very good (<<<dumbest name ever for a movie though).

 

Men and women liked him equally. He was an amazing actor, husband, race car driver and humanitarian. Actors like Brad Pitt and Russell Crow pale in comparison to him at his height. I've heard that the other "cool" blue eyed method actor, Steve McQueen, had a rivalry with him (but not in reverse).

 

I saw him once in Century City at a play The Pirates of Penzance. He was striking, even several rows away!

 

Russel Crowe has a shot at it, but he needs to grow up and get control of his temper. Crowe is good though. Johnny Depp is good, but very weird. Leonard Decaprio is my favorite of today's young actors. He was exceptional in The Departed and seems to pick his movie roles well so far. The big problem today is how to deal with the media. Decaprio has trouble there as he just puts towel over his head and hides. I generally like George Clooney because he seems like throwback to old time Hollywood actors, but he is a little heavy handed in his latest pictures which gets on my nerves. He hits you on the head with is political views. He needs to be more subtle. Both Al Pacino and Robert Deniro were great, but seem to be in steep decline and not taken seriously anymore. IMO, Deniro is embarrassing himself with some of the roles he played lately like the overbearing father in comedy roles. Not the same Deniro I knew and grew up with.

[mlhm5]

[FordBuyer]

I remember back in the 70's I went to a NYC off broadway play called The Slab Boys. There was an undercurrent about a new young actor in this play that said he was out of the ordinary and worth seeing. So I went and starring in it were actually three young actors at the time: Sean Penn, Val Kilmer, and Kevin Bacon. That night Senn Penn ruled that stage and his magnetism just took over that theater that night. Of course he has turned out to be a great actor and has an Oscar and chooses to work with great directors like Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorcese. I've always like Val Kilmer also and feel he is very underrated as actor. He was great in Oliver Stone's picture about Jim Morrison of The Doors. Not a Kevin Bacon fan.

 

So I really believe it's possible to talk about Sean Penn and his contribution to film when talking about types like Brando and Newman. Penn was exceptional on stage like these two and on film. The great actors seemed to get their training from the stage initially and then transfer it to film.

[StevenCaylor]

I remember meeting him when I was doing security at the Long Beach Grand Prix. This was the late 90's. I remember thinking that he looked great for someone his age. My father worked with him once in 1974 for The Towering Inferno. Here's the climax of the film. These were all my dad's sound effects, 50 sound tracks total. He was so proud of this reel.

 

http://www.youtube.com/wa...?v=Z0EB-kw_9IU&fmt=18

[FordBuyer]

Did anyone see the Lettermen interview of Newman back about 2 years ago? It was pretty amazing. You could tell that Lettermen idolized him and basically said he got into car racing and owning a team to meet and have Newman as a buddy. Lettermen right on national TV said this and said to Newman that he saw him walking down the paddock at Indy and greeted him hoping to get Newman involved in a conversation and Newman just walked right past him without uttering a word. Lettermen said he was crushed by this and therefore was so happy to have him on his show and interview him. Newman just glared back at him as Lettermen told this story and it ended there. Newman wouldn't talk much that night and only would talk about his charity work and a little about car racing which he loved. I got the feeling Paul Newman didn't much care for Lettermen and was not comfortable on that show even though Lettermen is race car owner. Got the feeling that is only reason Newman did the show is because he was seen as part of the race car fraternity. Newman came to the Detroit Gran Prix almost every year and was very approachable when in that environment. I don't think he liked to talk about Hollywood much and film acting. He was a man's man.

[Bored of Pisteon]

I recently changed my signature from the Clint Eastwood/Steve McQueen photos to post this one.

 

All the good guys are leaving us behind!

[156n3rd]

THE STING

[Pioneer]

[ironhorse]

In honor of "Cool Hand Luke"...I'm gonna eat 50 eggs. :shades:

[Edstock]

Slapshot, what a flick. A marvellous role for Paul.

 

The inimitable Hanson Bros.

 

[Pioneer]

Can't forget his last movie: